North Suburban YMCA's Scavenger Hunt Proves to be an exercise in creativity
The North Suburban YMCA held its first ever Community Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, March 14, where 19 teams of over 125 participants, ranging in ages from 5 to 75 years old, hunted for clues all over Northbrook. The Scavenger Hunt is part of the "Revive Our Y" fundraising efforts where all proceeds will benefit the North Suburban YMCA's future mission-focused programs.
The hunt began with a shotgun start, as each team headed out to a different location. Once the teams received their clues and reached their designated location, they were given a task. For example, when the clue sent them to the Book Bin in Northbrook, teams had to answer a clue and find their task inside a specific book. Many locations had NSYMCA "Secret Agents" to help teams with clue hints and directions.
Since participants of the Hunt had to send in fun photos of their scavenger successes, the winners were based on their creativity, not on time. To support each team's creative process, the Y provided them with a bag of "props" including rubber duckies, Slinkys, vampire teeth, NSYMCA T-shirts, and much more.
The First Place team was 5Detectives (the Anderson Family), for the most creative photos and multi-generational team, for doing their "YMCA" dance on the steps of the Northbrook Historical Museum. Honorable Mentions went to Renegade (the Martinez Family) for the most creative group photos and ideas, who were photographed reading books in front of the Book Bin; the Honorable Mention for creative messaging for each task went to the QuaranTEAM (the Gaden Family), who reenacted Ferris Buehler on the Glenbrook North High School steps; and the Honorable Mention for best creative pair went to Team Daisy (the Garvey Family), for the team photo showing them jumping for joy near the statue at the Village Green.
"We could not have held this scavenger hunt without the support of the community and our partners," said Kim Nyren, the NSYMCA's Director of Community Investment. "It was wonderful to see so many families come out for this old fashioned kind of fun. There was so much joy on people's faces!"
All participants received FREE Culver's sundae gift cards courtesy of Culver's Northbrook, and the winners received gift cards courtesy of Sunset Foods Northbrook. Sponsors and supporters of the Scavenger Hunt included the Village of Northbrook, Northbrook Park District, Northbrook Historical Society & Museum, Sunset Foods, Book Bin, Dairy Queen Northbrook, Culver's Northbrook, Glenbrook North High School, Wescott Elementary School and Northbrook Court.
"My team had so much fun today and we learned that the parents were much more competitive than the kiddos," said Ruby Martinez from team Renegade. "Our team loves to do these things but haven't been able to since COVID, so we appreciated the thought that went into it. Most importantly we got the kids out from behind their computers and video games."
Another participant, Bob James exclaimed "This was a great way to spend a Sunday," and his teammate Marilyn Fish added, "Events like this one make us all feel like we are kids at heart again!"
About the North Suburban YMCA
The North Suburban YMCA services Northbrook and 14 surrounding communities with programs and tools that help its residents become healthier, more connected, and confident, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, income, or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. The NSYMCA focuses on Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility and is a charitable organization, inclusive and welcoming to all in our community. Learn more at NSYMCA.org.